My sister calls Story my "labor of love." And she's right. Story is more than just clean skin care. Our purpose is to help people feel confident and healthy in their own skin, each with his or her own personal story.
Along this journey I've had the privilege of hearing many of those stories, and they each hold a special place in my heart (and bring tears to my eyes). One such story is that of Lisa Solberg, breast cancer survivor, who recently reached out to us.
Shared with her permission, this is Lisa's story, in her own words:
In September of 2020, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Shock, denial, fear, sadness… How could this be happening to me? I have my regular mammograms once a year, to the date, without missing one. How could I have such aggressive cancer, and to the point where my doctors are telling me that a lumpectomy would no longer be enough? My options were a single mastectomy accompanied by chemo and radiation, or a double mastectomy, bypassing chemo and radiation.
Those feelings of sadness were quickly overtaken by something more. Determination. Strength. The power to fight. The will to live. I was going to do whatever I needed to do to get through this.
Telling my kids was the hardest part of all of this. While they’re adults and can understand what is going on and help me along the way, I didn’t know how to break the news. How do you tell anyone that you have cancer? The C word is such a scary thing to bring into a conversation. It changes everything.
Before I told them, I wanted all the facts first. I wanted to have a plan of attack. A proper diagnosis, a decision on treatment, and a surgery date scheduled. That way I decided that when I told them, it wasn’t an open-ended C word, but rather a, “I have cancer and here’s what I’m going to do about it.” So I did just that.
After consulting with my doctor, I opted for the double mastectomy. I didn’t want to go through what chemo and radiation puts your body through. I wanted the cancer gone, and I wanted the possibility for future cancer to be as minimal as I could make it. And even though the cancer was fairly new in my body, it was an aggressive one. So we scheduled surgery for as soon as we could: October 1st, 2020.
I really wasn’t nervous or afraid for surgery. At this point, I felt such a loving support system behind me, and I knew I could get through this. Recovery was painful, but my home was filled with an endless supply of friends and loved ones dropping by bringing food, flowers, balloons, and treats to help make this healing process a little easier.
One thing my doctor told me after surgery was that I needed to be cleaning my wounds with ONLY water and a fragrance-free, chemical-free cleanser. My daughter had introduced me to Story Skin Care about a month earlier, and I really don’t know what I would have used had she not.
With a soft cotton wipe, I would swab and gently rub the incisions with Story Cleanser. It was so gentle and pure - I felt clean again.
I opted to have reconstruction surgery, and six months post-mastectomy, I went in for round one of reconstruction. Same instructions post-op… care for these wounds with something all natural and gentle. Story it is!
This morning, I woke up one week post-op from my third and final surgery in this year long breast cancer and recovery journey.
In total, I have 8 incisions from these surgeries that have needed care. My Story Skin Care products have been there with me throughout each of my surgeries, in every phase of healing. From softly cleansing, to gently moisturizing, once the wounds would close and heal (and boy did the Moisturizer help cure that itchy healing feeling!).
My doctor has commented multiple times on how truly impressed he is with the progress my wounds have made. I know my case is a little extreme in terms of what Story products are intended for, but I’m truly so thankful for them. You have a customer for life! (My very long life ahead ;-)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and I URGE you to get checked. I know the pandemic has kept people from scheduling those yearly doctor visits we’re supposed to be making, but I promise, your health is not something to take a gamble on. My doctor said that if I had waited even just a few months later, my cancer would have been too far past the point of recovery.
So GO GET CHECKED! And if the fear of what might be is holding you back, know that there are some incredible resources out there in our communities that will help you fight, support you along the way, and hold your hand as you make some tough decisions. You’ve got this.
–Lisa Solberg
Lisa, you have impacted our hearts with your determination, strength, and grace in the face of fear. We are honored to be a small part of your recovery and reconstruction journey.
To echo Lisa's very important reminder... GO GET CHECKED! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. Early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams, and scheduling regular clinical breast exams and mammograms.
Here's the reality – there is no cure for acne. There's no silver bullet, no magic cream that can make it disappear forever. Hormonal ebb and flow, genetics, and personal habits all play a part in the appearance of acne, or lack thereof. And of course, we can only really make changes to one of those factors. Focusing on personal habits, I recommend this clear skin regimen for tweens and teens to treat and help keep acne at bay.
Carmen Kubista
Author
founder of story skin care, wife & mom